TELEGRAPHIC.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1761, 10 July 1888, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC.

The operations for floating the stranded barque Weatbersfield started yesterday. The will case, Broughton v. Donnelly, now on at Wellington, will no: finish till the middle of the week. The Sherrard Osborne arrived at Nelßon yesterday,and will go to Wakapuaka to-day, and probably pick up the Sydney cable, the tests having disclosed a weak spot thirty miles away. Andrew Curtis, aged 80, was found dead yesterday morning on the outskirts of Blenheim. He used to be a survey hand and was the only survivor of the famous Wairau massacre in 1843. He had led a vagabond life, preferring, to the last, knocking about alone and not living with anyone. His descendants are supposed to be dead, It has been decided to hold a musical festival iu the spring at Wellington on the model of the English festivals. There will be a picked band and a chorus of 200. Mr R. Purkerhas been chosen director, and a guarantee list is in circulation. The expense is estimated at £l5O. Thomas Gilbert, miner, was found dead in an old trail race near Maori Gully, West Coast, on Sunday, with * large rock weighing newly a ton lying across his chest. Deceased was?bout thirty years of age, and had lately come from the North Island. Dr Thorpe, a very old and respected resident, disappeared from Wesfcport on Friday evening, and is too much ground for fear,/ that he accidentally fell into thej'iver during a heavy storm. The last that was seou of him was on the wharf about halfpast six. His hat wasrpicked up under the skaiths oa Saturday. He leaves a large family. Energetic search is being made for the body, Mrs J. W. Lang, wife of an old settler at Masterton, was found drowned in a creek about, eighteen miles from Masterton, near the Haswell Special Settlement. She separated from, her husband and family some time ago, and.has been earning her living as a nurse. On Friday morning she left the house where she was nursing, leaving a set of fake teeth on the table. This aroused suspicion, and search was made, resulting in her bod? being found as described. Her slippers were on the bank above, where she had evidently taken them off. The woman was somewhat eccentric, aud some months ago an effort was made to get her committed for lunacy. She lived very unhappily with' her husband and children. On learning the news Laog was fairly prostrated, and he is now seriously ill. A case - of robbery and attempted murder has been reported to the Wellington police. The victim is Frank Cousins, a bootmaker, whose story is that on Saturday morning he took some money in notes from a box in his bedroom for the purpose of paying some bills, as he was to be married on Monday, and leave for Melbourne. He was transacting his business on Saturday and Simday. On Sunday night, between ten and eleven o'clock he was returning home across the reclaimed ground, and when at the back of the Opera Honse he was seiaed by two men, who were shepherding him during the during the day. He was ; thrown violently to the ground, and lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness he found himself in the water, near the breastwork, with a wound in his throat. Being used to the water, and a good swimmer, he succeeded in regaining the shore, and remembers nothing more till he reached his home. Ha says he would be able to identify one of his assailants. Dr Bawson, who sewed up the wound, sayß it is not dangerous.